


Heart Shaped riches

by TheBean170



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/F, Falling In Love, Fluff, Romance, millionaire au
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-27
Updated: 2019-08-11
Packaged: 2020-02-08 13:28:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 11,959
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18624208
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBean170/pseuds/TheBean170
Summary: Lapis Lazuli and Peridot Olivine are both across-the-street neighbors in a very wealthy neighborhood. They've made their fortunes at a young age, and now dedicate their time in trying to 'one up' the other in objects and decorations.They're rivals, through and through.But maybe... a few choice events can persuade them that riches aren't everything.





	1. From green bucks to green thumbs.

**Author's Note:**

> This is just gonna be a short story split up into four parts. More parts should be on the way, but there is very important news at the end of this for those waiting on Starting Anew updates.
> 
> Anyways, enjoy!

The day was what one could describe as perfect. Clear skies, cool wind, and not too harsh sun.

The day was perfect any sort of activity, interior or exterior.

A perfect sunny day. And just one look out the window had ruined it.

Peridot peered outside of her bedroom window, pulling the curtains back just enough to let her see and also conceal her.

“She's trying to one up me again…” The blonde muttered angrily, looking at the building across the street.

On the very front lawn of the mansion she had grown to despise, Peridot watched as that horrible blue haired women sat smugly in front of a large, ornate fountain.

The woman seemed to have noticed that Peridot was watching, because she gave a small wave and a smile that seemed to scream: ‘Go ahead, try to bounce back from this.’

The blonde growled before pulling the curtains back over the window roughly.

“Every single time I try to do something nice for my own home, she always has to be the one to take it one step further!” She grumbled as she stomped down the flights of stairs in her own house.

She swung open the large, ornate front door of her house and raced across the large, well tended lawn. She opened the front gate to her own mansion and stomped across the street. She stood right outside the gate to the other women's mansion.

The bluenette on the other side of the gate sat in a expensive looking lawn chair, a glass of iced tea clutched in one of her hands. She flashed the blonde the same smug smile.

“Hello, Peridot. What're you doing over here?” She asked in a fake innocent tone.

“You know exactly what I'm doing over here, Lazuli. Where did  _that_ come from?” Peridot asked, gesturing to the ‘decoration’ that sat in the middle of the other women's lawn.

Well, one could call it a decoration if you were some sort of monarch. It was a large, ornate fountain with plenty of decorations, carved from what looked like the rarest of stone, and stood high above the lawn.

“Oh, do you like it? I saw it in a catalogue the other day and I just had to have it.” The bluenette said, taking pride in exactly how much such a little action could rile up the blonde.

“It wasn't here yesterday! Did you just install it overnight?” Peridot asked incredulously.

“Yep.”

Peridot let out a noise of frustration and marched back across to her own home, slamming her door shut.

Up and down the street, people observed the little exchange from windows and doorways, chuckling slightly at the antics the two got up to.

The two in question was Lapis Lazuli and Peridot Olivine, young adults who had move into the primarily rich neighborhood recently.

The others may have been rich, but Peridot and Lapis were stupid rich. The blonde had made her not-so small fortune with brilliant inventions and patents sold to the public, earning her respect among the engineering and consumer communities. Lapis earned her gold in painting, creating such amazing vistas that even Davinci would be jealous.

They were prodigies. And extremely childish.

They would always try to one up each other with more expensive and elaborate additions to their property. Cars, lawn renovations, bigger houses, and yes, elaborate fountains. If one had something, the other had to have and it had to be better.

No one knew how it started, all that they did know was that it wasn't about having nice things at this point. It was about the principle.

Which always lead to some pretty hilarious results.

The very next day, Lapis was setting up for a relaxing day of painting in her front yard. She already had an amazing idea in mind for a beach side vista.

She was getting ready to apply the first stroke of paint when the loud honking of a horn caused her to completely mess up and ruin her canvas.

She angrily glared over at the origin of the noise, and gasped.

The bluenette watched as a large crane and truck unloaded an absolutely ludicrously ornate fountain into the middle of Peridot's lawn, one that made Lapis’ fountain look like a sprinkler. The blonde helped direct the workers into placing the fountain right where she wanted it.

Lapis could only stare in shock as the workers drove away, leaving a very, very smug Peridot staring at the other girl.

“Do you like it? Top of the line, no expense spared. Just a little something to spice up the view.” The nerdy billionaire gloated from across the road, smug look spread across her face.

Lapis clenched her fist in slight anger as she felt her jealousy ride. She had to admit, that was a very beautiful fountain.

She was going to have to step up her game.

~$~

Peridot was fuming.

Over the past few days, a large tarp had gone over the large backyard of Lapis’ house. She knew that the bluenette was up to something, the amount of workers and construction vehicles that came by pointed towards a big construction project.

The blonde had been so curious, until one day she got a knock on her door.

When she opened it, she was greeted by a very deviously looking Lapis, wearing shorts, a white t-shirt, and completely barefoot.. She was definitely up to something.

“Hello Peridot. I was just wondering if you wanted to see the little project I've been up to recently? I know you're dying to know.” She said with a grin.

Peridot stared at the women for a moment, trying to judge and predict where this was heading. But, curiosity got the better of her, and she agreed.

They had both walked across the street towards the bluenette's house, not going through the building itself but rather a well lit and paved back way on the side.

When she turned the corner and saw the surprise Lapis had planned, she went wide eyed.

See, Peridot knew Lapis had a swimming pool, she rubbed it in her face the first day they met. It was fairly well made, by rich people standards.

What she saw before her now made that old tub look like a kiddy pool.

It was a beautiful, well lit and masterfully decorated swimming pool, complete with a large diving bored and small Jacuzzi area to the side. It looked like it was crafted with marble, plated with gold, and probably infused with angel wings or some other expensive thing.

Lapis sat, the biggest shit-eating grin plastered on her face as she watched Peridot take in the scene before her.

“You like it? I just did a few renovations. A little touch up, you know? Nothing special.” The bluenette said in a taunting tone.

The artist walked forward towards the pool, standing right on the edge. She turned around to face Peridot, holding her arms out to her sides.

“I actually haven't tried it out yet. No time like the present.” She said before falling backwards, plunging into the pool with all her clothes still on.

The little splash that the bluenette made finally snapped Peridot out of her stupor. And she was finally allowed to let her jealousy burn.

“Oh, that little… ‘Nothing special’, my ass!” The nerdy billionaire growled, pacing around angrily. “She did all this on purpose, that clod! And she knows I can't bite back because I don't like swimming! Argh, I'll figure something out. I'll build an industrial sized workshop! A statue of Albert Einstein made of gold! I'll-”

Just as she was about to list of a new idea, Lapis shot up from under the water, pulling herself out of the pool.

“I'll buy diamond plated Tesla car! I'll… Uh, I… bwuah, I…”

Peridot's ramblings stuttered to a halt as she laid eyes on Lapis again. Her green eyes went wide yet again, this time accompanied by a gaping mouth and a heavy blush.

The bluenette that had just exited the pool looked absolutely stunning. The water glistened in the nearby pool lights giving her an almost heavenly glow. The wet clothes stuck to her body, accentuating all her curves and features. Yet, her face portrayed ease and calm, like the water was where she really belonged.

The blonde stood completely frozen as Lapis walked by her, eyes still closed while she wrung out her hair.

“Wow, that's a nice pool, worth every cent. Anyways, that's all that I wanted to show you. You can leave now.” The bluenette teased as she walked into her house, not noticing the expression on the nerd.

Peridot stayed there for a hot minute, before her mind finally rebooted. And when it did, she raced out of the lawn as fast as she could.

She barged into her house and slammed the door behind her, panting a bit from running.

“Oh stars, w-why did she just jump into her pool like that? That clod, s-she's an idiot!” She stammered, trying to force the thoughts she just had about the other girl out of her mind.

“A-And why did she… look like that?! She was so… ugh, that's not the point! The point is, she's trying to one up me in something that I wouldn't dare to follow up to.”

The blonde stomped around her house, trying to think of a way to get back at the artist. It was then that she laid eyes on a garden painting she had bought a while back.

Gardening. She knew how to garden.

Light-bulb.

“I got it! She wants to play dirty, well two can play at that game!” The blonde said with a malicious smirk.

“Lime, Pistachio, Mint! Come here, fellas!” She called out into her house.

All of a sudden, three large green spheres rolled into the entrance way of Peridot's mansion. They halted in place before sprouting small pegs to act as legs.

Commercial robotic servants, or Robonoids. Peridot's first big consumer success.

“Guys, I need your help with a little project tomorrow. Something to show that cloddy Lazuli who’s boss.” The blonde said while rubbing her hands together. “But first, I need to order a few things online.”

~$~

“What the hell is she doing?” Lapis asked herself as she observed Peridot from her mansion doorway.

The bluenette watched in almost near confusion as the blonde across the street worked tirelessly in the dirt, using a series of garden tools to dig out holes and ditches, in varying shapes and arrangements.

Beside her, a series of small green spheres ( _‘The nerd’s weird robots.’_  Lapis thought) pulled large bags of what looked like mulch, and were busy pulling along what looked like pots of colorful… flowers?

“Is she… gardening? I didn’t even know she knew how.” Lapis said, curious as to what the final outcome of Peridot’s endeavor would look like.

The blonde herself was dressed in completely different clothing. Gone was her usual attire of nerdy clothing and green tennis shoes, she now wore a worn orange flannel shirt, large straw hat, gardening gloves, dirty jeans and work boots. Lapis didn’t even know Peridot had work boots.

The nerdy billionaire had her face practically buried in the dirt the entire time Lapis was observing her. She chuckled to herself.

“Well, if this is what she thinks is gonna help her bounce back, it won’t even come close to the swimming pool. I sank a solid two mil’ into that thing.” She said, getting ready to go back to her paintings.

It was when Lapis was about to go inside that Peridot finally got up from her knees and turned around, using her sleeve to wipe her forehead. The bluenette caught a full view of the blonde in all her get up.

Peridot’s entire demeanor had changed. Her face was was a mix of seriousness, yet enjoyment. The combination of dirt filled clothes and sweat laden brow gave of an outdoorsy feel from the nerd that Lapis had never seen from her before. This Peridot was a complete far cry from the one the artist had seen before.

Lapis’ smug look of superiority disappeared and instead was replaced with one of surprise, a red blush appearing over her face.

_‘W-What the hell?! She looks so… different? Why does that outdoors look suit her so well?’_  The bluenette wondered in bewilderment.

Lapis quickly turned around and ran back inside, trying to will away the red on her face.

_‘Ugh, whatever. Let the weirdo play in the dirt. I have better things to do.’_

~$~

Peridot was impressed with herself.

After a full week of tireless work, the blonde had finished her ‘little’ project. She had completely redecorated the entire front of her house with an assortment of colorful flowers, arranged in a beautiful pattern that added a flair the nerd had never seen in her mansion.

She now stood outside it, still dressed in her gardening clothes as she admired her work.

“I really did a bang up job…” Peridot muttered with a smile, sweat and dirt still stuck to her clothes.

In all honesty, Peridot’s work wasn't nearly as elegant or expensive as Lapis’ pool. Hell, the whole thing costed her less than a thousand! She only did it because she figured Lapis wouldn't do her own garden project, much like Peridot wouldn't build her own pool.

But now… She had almost completely forgotten about the competition between the two.

Over the week, she rediscovered how much she genuinely enjoyed gardening. She remembered she used to love gardening in her youth, but had forgotten the skill when she went into engineering and programming majors.

Now that she had her riches, she found out she could go back to doing the hobbies she enjoyed so much.

She had even managed to dig up her old gardening tools from back then! They were tucked away in a cardboard box, hidden away in her mansion.

She… hadn't realized how large her house actually was.

Peridot kept looking at her handiwork, her genuine smile growing wider, as she wondered if she could perhaps continue this reignited passion for plants.

_‘Maybe I could do this for the backyard? Or the front gate? They're both pretty barren. Hey, I could even start tomorrow after that company meeting with investors! I-’_

“So, you finished your quaint little garden project?” Peridot heard a snarky voice say from behind her, interrupting her thoughts.

The blonde turned around to see Lapis (thankfully dressed differently than the last time she saw her) standing outside her front gate, a taunting smirk on her face.

This was Peridot's chance to rub in all her hard work in Lapis’ face! All she had to do was what she did best, brag and rub her stuff in Lapis’ face, and she might have a chance to pull this off!

Yet… that's not what Peridot felt like doing at that moment.

Peridot felt real pride in what she had accomplished. She felt joy and happiness not in bragging about what she had, but from simply having done it.

“Yes! Do you like them? I tried to go for something aesthetically pleasing, well except for the sunflowers. I just really like sunflowers.” Peridot said, genuine pride in her voice as she spoke.

“Oh, I’m sure y- Wait, what?” Lapis was ready to snark back, but the enthusiasm in Peridot’s voice stopped her.

“Oh, in your personal opinion, do you like the roses near the front door? I think they look nice there, but I know that some may see it as a bit too much.” The blonde kept rambling on.

“Um, roses?” Lapis was trying to figure out a way to work with this enthusiasm. How was one to snark to that?

“Yes, I do believe they pull together the whole garden, but I… You know what? I’m going to keep them. They suit the building just fine. Oh, but don’t get me started on those hydrangeas! Those were made for this place, let me tell you!” And so, the nerdy billionaire started on a long tangent.

Lapis’ smug little smile slowly faded as she watched the nerdy billionaire become truly invested in explaining her gardening techniques and what kind of flowers she had used.

“W-Wow… You really, uh… You're really proud of all this, huh?” Lapis stuttered out.

“Yeah, I am. This may be the one project I've done recently that I'm most proud of.” Peridot said, finally admitting the truth of the situation to herself.

“Well, it… It looks nice. Y-You should be proud of it.” Lapis spoke.

“Thank you. I appreciate the compliment.”

The two stood in silence for a brief moment before Lapis turned to leave.

“W-Well, I just wanted to see what you were up to. I gotta go back to painting things and stuff. Goodbye.” Lapis blurted out before quickly walking back over to her house.

Peridot starred in shock at the bluenette for a second before shaking her head and going to clean up her tools.

“That was odd. Ah, well. At least she enjoyed my techniques.”

~$~

Lapis didn't know what to do.

She was pacing around her living room, trying to figure out these confusing thoughts in her head.

She wanted desperately to one up the nerd across the street. She knew Peridot was only gardening because she figured Lapis wouldn't do the same. But Lapis knew she could. She could spend millions hiring the best gardeners in the country that would squash the homegrown garden in the blonde's front lawn.

But, when thinking of putting this plan into action, the bluenette didn't feel the usual sort of boastful pride she felt when she was about to one up the other girl.

Instead, she felt bad. Really bad, almost ashamed.

Lapis still paced around the room, trying to figure out where this newfound guilt came from, when it finally hit her.

Peridot was genuinely proud of what she had made. She had put time and effort into something that she enjoyed to do. To try and one up her in that wasn't one upping her, it was like purposely stepping on each and every one of those flowers in that garden.

“I don’t… have to one up her this time. She can have that. That garden means something to her, and I’m not going to take that away from her. After all, as an artist I can appreciate the care she put into it.” Lapis said, confident in her decision.

However, before returning to her painting room, a smirk appeared over her face.

“That doesn’t mean I’m gonna give up easy.”


	2. Pinning for friendship

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for taking so long to publish this. I'm putting off writing like 50 essays to get this out. But, I just wanted to get this out to you guys!
> 
> Also, there's another easter egg in here. I don't know why, but I just like adding them.

Things continued… ‘normally’ for the next few days between the two prodigies. Lapis and Peridot both acted a little more ‘tense’, as the other residents put it, but they still stuck to their petty ways.

As far as the neighbors were concerned, the two only had that activity to occupy themselves. That was the only thing that united them.

How little they knew.

~$~

It was early, really early, when Peridot opened the front door to her house, searching for any sign of anyone else awake, a small backpack clutched in her hands and a green hoodie over her head.

When she determined that there wasn't anyone else not asleep at 3am, she quietly snuck out of the house and made her way towards the street. She wasn't taking any of her fancy cars this time, that would draw WAY too much attention and could be traced back to her.

You see, one could easily be convinced that Peridot was either fleeing the country, planning to murder somebody, or both with how serious she took to not being spotted.

That was as far from the truth as one could get.

For imputed into the blonde's phone was directions to… a convention center.

Peridot slowly opened her front gate, slipped out, and quietly closed them back. She snickered silently to herself. This was becoming too easy. She was surprised none of the other neighbors had heard her.

She turned around and was prepared to make her way to the not-so nearby bus stop, when she bumped into somebody, causing both parties to let out a noise and fall backward on their backs.

“Ugh…” Peridot groaned before realizing that she had bumped into somebody. SOMEBODY who could find out what the blonde was doing so early in the morning.

She quickly got to her feet and looked around to see where her backpack had landed (She had dropped it when she fell). She saw it lying a few inches to her right.

She went to take a step to grab when she heard the other person speak.

“Ow…”

Peridot froze up. She definitely recognized that voice.

She turned her head to see Lapis Lazuli slowly raising herself to a sitting position. Dread filled her form as she thought about the amount of teasing she would receive if the bluenette knew about where the blonde was going.

Suddenly, Lapis gasped as she shot up to her feet. Peridot had no time to grab her backpack and hide it so she simply stepped in front of it to hide it from view.

The bluenette spun around, her head frantically moving to… find something?

Peridot's eyes also darted around to see if she could find what Lapis was so keen on finding.

Then she noticed it.

An open backpack, similar to her own, situated behind Lapis. It seemed to be filled it with… clothes?

And it seemed Lapis noticed it too, because she took a few steps toward it. The blonde figured that now would be the perfect time to make her escape, but her shoes slid across the street, making noise and causing Lapis to turn back around.

“P-Peridot? What're you doing up this early?!” She whisper-yelled, her eyes going wide as she stared.

“I… uh… W-Well, I should be asking you the s-same question!” Peridot responded, trying to figure out why Lapis would be up this early with a backpack of clothes.

And why did her clothes look so… familiar?

“None of your b-business! Can't a girl keep any p-privacy nowadays? And you! Where are y-you going at three in the morning?”

The nerd gulped. “N-Nowhere in particular! I was just, uh… Well, if you won't say I won't either!”

“Fine!”

“Double fine!”

The two girls stood silently, annoyance being outweighed by the panic of being discovered. They both wanted to grab their stuff and run, but that might give away the fact they were hiding stuff to begin with.

Peridot still stared at the bag, trying to figure out why those clothes seemed so familiar. There seemed to be a dark green jacket, hat of the same color… a red wig? And a blue… scarf.

_‘Wait a minute…’_

“L-Lapis, what's in your bag?” Peridot asked.

The bluenette let out an ‘eep’ before quickly stepping in front of it.

“Nothingsinthebagthankyou!” She quickly blurted out, going slightly pink in the face.

“Lapis, is that…”

_‘No, there's no way she actually…’_

“Nonononono! Nothing in there!” Lapis said. Her hands shaking.

“That's… That's a Paulette scarf. That's from…”

Peridot looked Lapis dead in the eyes, panic starting to subside and being replaced with confusion.

“That scarf's from Camp Pining Hearts.” Peridot finally said.

Lapis looked like she was about to pass out. Her knuckles were white with how hard she was clenching them, and beads of sweat were forming on her brow.

“Lapis… Why do you have CPH stuff in that ba-”

“Please don't tell anyone! I'll give you anything, I'll pay you! Anything, just don't tell any of our neighbors!” The bluenette begged, her hands clasped together in a pleading position.

Peridot couldn't believe it. The person who she considered her nemesis, who she always had to one up, she… she watched the same show Peridot absolutely loved?

_‘Is she a fan? She has to be, that scarf is a super rare find! Wait… is she going where I think she's going?’_

Peridot took a deep breath before speaking again.

“Lapis, are you going to the CPH convention downtown?” She asked.

Lapis’ panicked looked disappeared slightly. “Y… Yeah. Wait, how'd you know that even existed?”

Peridot turned around and picked up her backpack, unzipping it and taking out a dark green hat, similar to the one Lapis had in her bag.

Lapis gaped at the nerd. “W-Wait, do… You watch Camp Pining Hearts too?”

Peridot nodded. “Yep. And it seems to me I found somebody who enjoys it as well.”

Panic now completely left the bluenette as she turned around to grab her own bag. The two girls stared at each other, bags in hand.

“I… never knew you enjoyed the show, much less went to a convention.” The blonde said.

“Yeah, same. Wait, how long have you been going? I think I would've seen you by now.” The artist asked.

“Well, I've been going for quite a while, but I usually do a good job at disguising both myself and my voice. You'd be surprised what baggy clothing and colored contacts can do for hiding you.”

At that, Lapis let out a little chuckle. “Guess so, otherwise I would've recognized you. For me, I just put on a red wig and hide my face with the scarf, and suddenly I'm just another fan.”

“Wow. Truly the master of disguise here.”

They both laughed a little at that before taking another breath.

“So… I assume all this sneaking is to-”

“Preserve image. I love the show with all my heart, but I also like being respected by our neighbors. The same for you, I suppose?”

“Yep.”

“Hmm.”

The two stayed silent yet again before Peridot realized how long she had been talking with Lapis.

“Wait, what time is it?!” She quickly fished her phone from her pocket to check the time. “Oh no, I missed my bus! I'm not gonna make it in time for the first event!”

“Wait, you take the bus?” Lapis asked.

“Y-Yeah. It kinda draws attention when you show up to somewhere with a hundred thousand dollar car. Crap, and I even got reserved seating for that first event.” The blonde said, dejected.

Lapis stared at the nerd for a moment. She had never considered the possibility that Peridot would've shared ANY interest with her, much less her favorite show. But now…

_‘Maybe she isn't… that bad. I don't really know much about her after all. And she looks sad as hell.’_

“Hey… do you need a ride? I usually borrow a less expensive car from a friend to hide. I can get you over to the convention.”

Peridot stared at Lapis incredulously. This was supposed to be the person that always showed her up, who always had to beat her in their little game, and now she was offering her a ride?

And, even more unbelievable, she was actually considering taking it?

“I… Would you really do that?” The blonde asked, trying to make sure this wasn't some sort of joke.

“W-Well… I wouldn't keep anybody from going to the CPH convention. Not even a stuck up like you.”

“W-Wow, I… Thank you!” Peridot said, finally pulling her backpack over shoulder.

“Yeah, no worries. We should get going, though, if you want to make it in time.”

The artist gathered her plastic bag and gestured the nerd to follow her. They made a brisk pace out of the rich community towards a less wealthy neighborhood.

Lapis turned into a driveway where a more economic car was sitting parked. She pulled out her keys and unlocked it. Both girls hopped in and drove away.

After a few moments of driving in silence, Peridot decided to voice her question.

“So… How long have you been watching the series?” She asked, fiddling with her backpack.

“Um… Well, it was before I made it big in the art industry, I’ll tell you that much. I can’t actually remember when I first got interested. I’ve just always been a big fan.” Lapis responded, keeping her eyes on the road.

“Oh. It seems we have that in common too. I can't really pinpoint the day when I became invested in the show.”

“Hm.”

A few more moments passed before conversation arose again.

“I just can't believe I haven't seen you at the convention. That must be some cosplay you're dawning to keep hidden. Do you go as the same thing every year?” Lapis asked this time.

“Yep, Percy. He's my favorite character. I am assuming of course you go as Paulette? Judging by the scarf in your bag.” Peridot responded.

“Yeah. She's my favorite.”

“Hm. Perhaps we're not as common as I thought.”

Lapis eyed the blonde out of the corner of her eye, although a slight smile appeared on her face. “I'm guessing you have some sort of problem with Paulette?”

“I'd explain my reasoning, but I don't like to argue so early in the morning.” The nerd replies, her own smirk appearing on her face.

“Smart move. Maybe we should talk about a less controversial topic.

“I see. Uh… Do you have a favorite episode?”

“Oh, that’s easy. Season 3 episode 12 of the second remake. Best of the series.”

“R-Really? That's my favorite episode too!”

Lapis had pulled to a stop at an intersection, taking a moment to turn to face the blonde.

“Wait, really? That's… wow!”

“I know, right? It's good to find someone else who has taste. Everyone else I've talked too says episode 9 is the best.” Peridot said with a face of annoyance at the end.

“Ugh, episode 9? I mean, it's good, but not that good.” The bluenette responded, her face scrunching up.

“Yeah, episode 12 had a much better plot, writing and action. Plus, the amount of subtext between Pierre and Percy is amazing!”

“Oh, you're a Pierrcy shipper? No wonder you don't like Paulette.” Lapis said with a slight chuckle.

“What's that supposed to mean, Lazuli?” Peridot asked, raising an eyebrow with a smirk.

Lapis felt… odd, when talking with Peridot. She figured that, due to the stuck up nature she had observed before hand, talking with the blonde would be akin to torture.

But, talking with her on a subject they both enjoyed, Lapis found that Peridot wasn't actually that bad of a person to talk with. Perhaps their little ‘competition’ had muddled with her manners.

Meanwhile, Peridot was surprised that someone such as Lapis could be so agreeable, as there was no indication before that they both enjoyed the same thing. But knowing what she knew now, she found the bluenette a much better conversationalist.

The two kept talking about their favorite shows, sharing many opinions but also differing in a few. The car ride was far more pleasant than either of them could have anticipated, and it seemed much shorter than it actually was.

As they pulled up to the convention center, Peridot felt a funny little feeling settle in her chest. It made her feel… disappointed, perhaps even a little sad.

“Well… we’re here.” Lapis said, her own expression seeming ‘disappointed.’ “You'd better hurry if you wanna get changed and catch the first event.”

Peridot nodded and slowly made her way out of the car. She slung her backpack over her shoulder and shut the door.

She took a few steps toward the convention center and stopped.

Turning back around, she raced up to Lapis’ window and tapped on it. The bluenette rolled it down.

“Hey… if it isn't too much trouble, do you think I could get a ride back? I'd much rather prefer riding with you than taking the public transportation.” She asked, a bit shy and a bit embarrassed at the same time.

“What, I rank above the city bus?” Lapis retorted with a smirk.

“Yes… But just barely.” She shot back.

She couldn't pass up the opportunity. Old habits really do die hard.

“You know what? Sure. You're not as bad of a carpool buddy as I thought you would be.” The bluenette agreed.

“Thanks. I'll see you around.”

And with that, Peridot raced toward the convention center, tucking the hoodie even more so to keep anyone else from seeing her.

~$~

The entire day was tiring.

Peridot, donned in a very clever disguise of baggy clothing, hat covering her tied up hair and brown eye contacts, exited the convention center with bags of goodies in tow.

It was tiring, yes, but she had enjoyed every second of it.

The blonde had attended many of the events in the convention, gone to many different stands, and even took a few pictures with people surprised by the accuracy of her cosplay.

_‘It better be accurate. I sank a good amount into that thing.’_  She thought to herself as she walked through the parking lot.

Peridot kept an eye out for Lapis’ car, as she realized she didn't have any way to contact her. She was getting a bit worried after a while of searching, but finally spotted it near the back.

As the nerd got closer, she noticed that someone else was leaning against the car. When she got close enough, her eyebrows shot up.

If that was Lapis, maybe she was a master of disguise.

The bluenette was dressed in her character's classic outfit, the blue scarf covering the majority of her face while leaving her eyes still visible. The red wig the blonde had seen before was placed atop her head under a green cap.

The only thing that may have given her away was the tan skin. But, besides that, Lapis was truly unrecognizable.

While getting closer, Peridot decided to play a little prank on the artist.

“Wow. No wonder I didn't recognize you.” She said as she approached, using a deeper voice that was very different from her own.

“Uh… I'm sorry, sir. I don't believe we've met.” Lapis said with a confused look, her voice muffled by the scarf.

“Lapis, it's me, Peridot!” The blonde said in her normal voice.

The bluenette's eyebrows shot up as she stepped forward. “Peridot? Wow, I really didn't recognize you! Nice cosplay.”

“Thanks. The same to you! Maybe you really are a master of disguise.” Peridot complimented.

“Come on. We better get going.”

The two climbed into the car and pulled away from the convention center.

While in the car, Peridot removed her hat, untied her hair, and took out brown contact lenses. She pulled out a small box from her backpack and place the contacts inside, before pulling out her glasses and putting them on.

“Ah, much better. As much as I like my cosplay, contacts are still annoying.” She said, placing the removed hat in her backpack.

The car came to a stoplight, which gave Lapis a moment to remove her scarf and hat, though not enough time for the wig.

“Tell me about it. This wig gets real itchy after a while.” She said.

Peridot giggled a little at the sight of a redhead Lapis. “Wow. That just doesn't look right. I'm pretty sure blue is much more your color.”

Lapis giggled herself. “Enjoy it. You're not seeing me in a wig until next year.”

The two sighed and sat peacefully in the car, driving back towards their home.

“Y-You know… I didn't realize that you were such a… surprisingly nice person, Lazuli. Perhaps I was mistaken in my first impression.” Peridot finally said.

“Yeah… I g-guess that the same applies for me. Although it could just be the good mood I'm in.” Lapis responded.

“Well, whatever it is, this was… enjoyable.”

Lapis took a deep breath, still slightly focused on driving. Her thoughts were all confused about the nerd next to her.

How was it that they had been rivals for the longest time, yet were getting along so well now? It was almost unnatural.

She needed a distraction.

“S-So!” She said, a little too loud. “What did you get from the c-convention? I saw you walk out with a bunch of bags.”

“Oh, you know. Just some collectors items. A few pins. A t-shirt. The usual.” Peridot said.

“Oh! You like to collect?” The bluenette asked.

“Oh yes. I'm quite the collector. I have all the rarest items from the series.”

Lapis arched an eyebrow. “Hmm. Well, I also happen to collect. I do believe I have quite the collection.”

“Oh. Is that so?”

“Mhm.”

“Well, I'm sure you collection is impressive. I mean, mine has probably been going on a lot longer, but yours is, I'm sure, decent.”

“Oh, yes. It is impressive. I think I've gained a solid amount of items, even if I had been collecting less than you.”

“Hmm.”

The two stayed silent, but underneath they both knew where this was heading. It was an opportunity, presented on a silver platter made especially for them.

An opportunity to gloat. To boast.

To compete.

“What's your most prized possessions, Lazuli? I mean, such an  _impressive_  collection must have a prized jewel.” Peridot asked, smug look on her face.

“Oh, a prized jewel it is. I  _may_  be in possession of the original camp flag from the very first season of CPH.” Lapis bragged.

“Oh, wow. That is quite impressive.”

Truth be told, Peridot was quite impressed. That wasn't some low level entry item. She would need to step up her game.

“What about you, miss Olivine? What's your prized jewel?” Lapis asked in a mocking tone

“Oh, nothing fancy. Just an original camp member hat signed by the original cast. Had to fly out to Canada to get that one.” The blonde boasted.

“Wow. That is a pretty jewel.”

“Of course I do have other items in my collection. I'm not just a one trick pony.”

“Oh really?”

“I maaaybbee have an original advertising poster for the 1999 live episode event. Just maybe.”

“Wow, that is quite the snag. I mean, nothing compared to the original script for season 3 episode 12 of the second remake, but it's quaint.”

“Y-You have the… the original script?!”

“Yep.”

Peridot glared at Lapis, yet no animosity appeared behind her eyes.

Lapis gave a smug grin toward the blonde.

For the next portion of the ride, the two competed to see who had the rarest collector items in their ownership. Despite being similar to their past ‘encounters’, there was a strange air of, dare they say it…

Friendship?

As they were pulling into the neighborhood outside the rich community, both girls had smiles on their faces, having strangely enjoyed the other’s company.

“I still can't believe you have an actual recording of the Christmas Special. I've never even seen it!” Lapis said, shutting off the ignition. “That was only aired-”

“Once in 1984. Yeah, just a little something I picked up.” Peridot said, gathering her things.

“Okay… I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm jealous.”

The blonde stared at Lapis with success in her eyes.

“Really?”

“Yeah…”

Peridot gave a little fist bump while letting out a happy ‘yes’, causing Lapis to roll her eyes.

“Enjoy it while it lasts. That's the only time you'll actually get me jealous.”

The two girls finally exited the car, backpacks and things in hand.

“Oop, give me a second. I forgot to change out of my CPH jacket.” Peridot said taking it off to reveal a white t-shirt underneath.

“Oh, me too.” Lapis said, doing the same.

They both stuffed their jackets into their backpacks and made their way towards the rich community.

However, as they were waking, both prodigies felt that same ‘disappointment’ they felt when they first arrived to the convention center. They truly did enjoy the other’s company once all the competition was placed to the sidelines, but now it seemed it was coming to an end.

And, they really didn’t want that.

So, when coming close to their homes, a small thought had wormed its way into Peridot’s head. One she couldn’t shake, no matter how hard she tried. She simply had to speak it aloud.

“S-Say, Lapis… I was just wondering if maybe, um…” The blonde muttered as she approached the front gate of her house. “W-Well, I was wondering if you’d want to meet up again tomorrow?”

Lapis’ head whipped around to face Peridot. “What?”  
  


“W-Well, you said you hadn’t seen the christmas special, so I was wondering if you w-wanted to stop by tomorrow and watch it. I have a home theater!” The nerd offered.

The bluenette stopped in place, her mind trying to work through what had just happened. Peridot, her neighborhood rival, had just gone from nuisance to an agreeable person in only a few hours. And now she had invited her to hang out at her house?  
  


_‘I… I’m not seriously considering this, right?’_

…

_‘Nope. I am.’_

“You know what… Sure. Tomorrow sounds fine. Any preference to when I should meet up?” Lapis finally responded.

Peridot gave a look like she hadn’t expected for the other girl to say yes, but quickly adopted a slight smile. “Whenever is convenient for you! I’m open whenever.”

“Alright… I guess I’ll see you tomorrow.”

“ I guess so… Lapis, I quite enjoyed our conversations today. I really hope we can do something like that again.”

And, with a wave goodbye, Peridot walked back inside her house, leaving Lapis alone on the street. The bluenette started to walk over to her own house, but was stopped when she heard someone speak up.

“Where have you two been off to? Expanding your ‘competition’ to other stages?” One of her neighbors, a man with messy hair and dark gray eyes, said with a chuckle.

Lapis looked down and realized she still was holding some of her bags filled with convention items, before looking back at her neighbor.

“Yeah. Something like that, Daniel.”

“Eh. Well, just so we’re clear, I’m rooting for you, kid.” He said before retreated back into his home.

Lapis shook her head with a laugh and made her way back into her house.

She felt… slight excitement for the next day.

She wondered why.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Piece it Back Together may not be updated this Tuesday due to a myriad of schoolwork, but it will definitely come out this week.
> 
> Also, trying to put together a new, much longer story so you guys will have something consistently put out. Much more romantic and something I'm very passionate about as so not to repeat what happened with Starting Anew. (But don't worry I'm still trying to amass more motivation to continue that story so that it won't stay unfinished.)
> 
> Comments are always appreciated!


	3. Snapshots of life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM ALIVE!!!!!!
> 
> I know I sorta disappeared for a while (Well, unless you follow my tumblr, which has had a few art updates and text posts) but I needed to take a few moments to reassess myself, my writing style, and what ideas I wanted to pursue in the future. I'm sorry for not being around, but I'm back now and here to stay for the most part!
> 
> Piece it back together will receive more consistent updates, I will be finishing up my two multi-chapter one shots, and if you head over to my tumblr I will have updates on my next big project! Thank you for waiting for me and sticking by my side. 
> 
> I'm back now, and here to stay
> 
> My tumblr: http://thebean170.tumblr.com/

Lapis was nervous.

She stood in front of a mirror, brushing her hair a little bit to make sure she looked presentable. She chose descent, casual clothing that didn't just look messy. Slight care went into her look.

She couldn't quite pin why she was nervous though.

 _‘I'm just going to hang out. That's all she wanted to do. So why am I so jittery?’_  She thought as she checked over herself one last time.

Truth be told, Lapis partially knew why she was nervous. She had an opportunity for friendship, which was rare for her at the time. She had friends in her high school years, but moving into the rich community was… quite lonely.

Nobody felt really close to anyone. Sure, she had been to the occasional BBQ or house party, but it all felt… superficial. Like it was just to maintain image and posterity. No friendships, just… toleration. Courtesy. Smile, laugh at someone's jokes, and then don't talk with them for the rest of the night. That was just the norm here. Hell, the supposed ‘friend’ she borrowed the car from wasn’t even really a friend anymore. She had to pay the girl to lend the car.

Peridot felt different.

Lapis had spent her waking hours thinking about how exactly she was different. For one, they actually shared interests and had already talked comfortably before. Second, they already had slight history together due to their little ‘competition.’

And three…

Well, Peridot seemed genuinely like a cool person to hang out with. She seemed passionate, funny, and kinda quirky. The only reason their competition lasted this long was due to Lapis’ own competitive nature and just how hilarious it was when Peridot got angry.

_‘Hilarious and kinda adorkable, to be honest…’_

Lapis stopped brushing and took a minute to analyze that thought...

And then proceeded to shove that thought completely out of her mind.

Basically, Peridot was probably Lapis only chance at friendship in this rich community. And she didn't want to mess it up.

That's what really had Lapis so nervous, even if she didn't want to admit it.

She finished brushing her hair and took a quick look at her outfit. A white button up shirt with the sleeves rolled up, jeans, and a pair of black shoes.

“Eh, that'll do.” She said to herself before making her way downstairs to her kitchen.

She grabbed a plastic wrapped plate of…  _items_  she spent the morning making before heading out across the street.

 _‘It's fine. It'll be fine. We’re just hanging out. Just don't mess it up and ruin your reputation in front of her.’_  She thought it herself as she walked over to the other girl's house.

After passing by the huge eyesore that was the girl's fountain, she took a moment to gaze at the garden Peridot had planted the other day. It really did compliment the house, and added color to the otherwise pretty drab location.

Who knew the blonde was that skilled with gardening?

Taking a deep breath, Lapis raised her hand and knocked on the large front door of the mansion.

_‘Don't mess it up. Don't mess it up.’_

Silence.

Lapis knocked on the door again, hoping that Peridot had remembered the actual event and that she wasn't making a fool of herself.

This time, she garnered a response.

“Oh! Coming!” A voice called from behind the door.

And with that, the door swung open.

“Hello, Lapis. You, uh… You like great!” Peridot said, giving a quick one over at Lapis.

“Thanks. You do too.” Lapis responded back.

Peridot did look different, that's for sure. She was dressed up in a green flannel, t-shirt, pants, and more neat, combed hair. It was an outfit Lapis had seen before when she bumped into the nerd at the community get-togethers.

She… rather prefered this outfit to the other ones.

“Well, won't you come inside? I already have everything set up in the home theater.” Peridot said, stepping out of the way to let the bluenette in.

“Thanks. I, um… I brought snacks. You know, just a little something.” Lapis said, handing the plate to Peridot as she walked in.

The blonde uncovered the plastic wrapped plate to look at the contents. A pile of cookies, made from store bought cookie dough and quickly cooked in the morning. Truth be told, Lapis didn’t really struggle that much when making those cookies. She used to love to cook in high school, so those skills stuck with her into her adult years despite neglect in usage. She, in fact, enjoyed making those cookies in the morning.

She really should start cooking again. She was kinda getting tired of eating out.

Lapis didn’t really think much of making that plate of cookies, it was just a thought she had out of the blue. However, the mere act of courtesy instantly made Peridot's face break into a shy smile.

“Wow, thanks. I didn't even think about snacks. O-Oh wait, are you going to want snacks?” She asked.

“Um, no. No I'll be fine. I just made those for both of us.” The artist assured.

“Okay. Well, follow me! Right this way.” Peridot said, motioning Lapis to follow.

Lapis walked by the nerd's side, taking a look at the rest of her mansion. It was big, and definitely expensive. The walls were painted a light green while the hallways seemed to go on and on.

Eventually, however, they reached a white door with gold metal on parts of it labled ‘theater.’

“Wow. That's pretty illustrious.” Lapis commented.

“Eh, not really. Just a little something extra for the home, you know?” Peridot said with a slight smirk, a bit of her confidence returning to her as she opened the door.

The inside of the theater was definitely well kept. It was furnished with around five reclinable seats, carpeted flooring, and a large projector screen in the front of the room.

_‘Not bad. I never had any intention to buy a home theater, but this one is nice.’_

“Just take a seat anywhere while I get everything set up.” Peridot said, moving towards the projector screen.

“Right.” Lapis said, looking around at her choice of seating. She decided that she'd sit up front in the middle, and plopped right down into one of the reclinable seats.

Peridot disappeared behind the projector screen for a moment before reappearing with a controller. She sat down near Lapis, one seat separating the two.

“S-So, are you comfortable? Don't need anything else?” Peridot asked.

“Nope. All good here. Just a bit excited to see the special.” Lapis said.

With a smile, Peridot pressed play on the controller, sitting down in a chair one apart from Lapis.

The bluenette faced the screen, watching as the intro to the anticipated special started to play.

~$~

**_“Well Percy, I guess the true meaning of Christmas is spending time with those who matter.”_ **

With that final line, the screen faded to black as a merry jingle played over the speakers of the home theater. The credits started to roll as Peridot looked away from the screen towards Lapis, waiting to see her reaction to the special.

“Sooo… What did you think?” The blonde asked.

Lapis, her eyes still glued to the screen, didn’t respond.

“Uh… Lapis?”

The bluenette turned to Peridot with stars in her eyes.

“That. Was. Incredible.” She whispered.

“Y-You liked it?” Peridot asked.

“Are you kidding me?! I LOVED it! The writing, characterization, and all those scenes with Paulette were amazing! I can’t believe they only aired it once, this is incredible!” Lapis exclaimed, a smile spreading across her face as she rambled.

“Wow, good to see we share similar opinions! Well, maybe besides the Paulette scenes. They were serviceable at best.” The blonde taunted.

“I’ll make you see the benefit of Paulette one day, just you wait.”

“Oh, that’ll be the day, Lazuli.”

The two millionaires laughed a little at that banter before settling back down again.

“What was your favorite scene?” Peridot asked.

“Oh, definitely the Secret Santa scene. There was so much tension in just those few minutes that it made everything ten times better.” Lapis responded

“Wow, also in agreement there. For a Christmas special, it had exceptionally good writing.”

“Well, it is CPH. I didn’t expect any less.”

“Very true.”

They sat in the chairs in a sort of… comfortable silence while the credits rolled, merely reflecting on the enjoyment they just had over the last 45 minutes.

“Did… Did you enjoy yourself, Lazuli?” Peridot finally asked, somewhat… timid in her question.

Lapis paused for a second upon hearing that. For some odd reason, that phrase made Lapis feel funny. Sorta weird.

“Yeah, I really did. That was pretty fun.” She admitted, a little shyness seeping into her voice.

“Oh, good to hear. I, uh… I also enjoyed this little get together.”

Now Lapis felt really funny. She didn’t understand what was causing this feeling, but it was getting stronger and stronger as she kept talking with Peridot.

“So… I assume you have other things to do” Peridot started to say as she got out of her chair, “I’ll let you be on your w-”

“No!” Lapis said, a little too loudly as she startled Peridot.

The blonde looked at her with some sort of expectation.

_‘Dangit, Lapis, don’t mess this up! This should be easy, you’ve made friends in the past! Just… do that again!’_

“I, uh… I mean, I don’t have other things to do. I was, uh… going to ask if you wanted to watch some more CPH? I m-mean, if you don’t have other plans of course! Cause if you do, t-then that’s fine too! But, you know… just a suggestion?” The bluenette sputtered out, social awkwardness somehow appearing in her words.

_'Master of confidence as always, idiot…'_

“I… I don’t have prior arrangements either. We can keep watching… if you want to, that is.” Peridot responded.

As Lapis heard that, her small nervous smile grew a bit wider.

“I’d think that’d be great.” She said.

~$~

Time passed by faster than either girl had realized.

Peridot had gone and brought back a bunch of DVDs containing the entire CPH series, and both her and Lapis decided to watch the entire series from start to finish, reliving some of their favorite moments from the show.

The two had quite a lot of fun offering their own comments on episodes, making jokes at the few flaws the show actually had, and just talking to each other in general during the calmer parts of the show. They laughed and cried during certain parts of the show and, despite their prior ‘history’, they actually found themselves quite enjoying the other’s company over such a long time.

Yet, all good things have to come to an end. At around 10 o’clock at night, Peridot paused the show and got up from her chair, making her way back over to the projector.

Lapis looked at the blonde with slight disbelief and even smaller annoyance. “What the heck, Peri?! You paused it right in the middle of the Season 2 finale.” She said.

“I’m quite sorry, Lazuli, but it is getting quite late and I unfortunately have an early morning board meeting for my company.” Peridot said, a bit dejected as she turned off the projector.

 _‘Quite late?’_  Lapis thought, fishing her phone out of her pocket.  _‘It can’t be that late, we only watched until sea- 10:00 pm?! How did it get so late so fast?!’_

“Huh, guess it is pretty late. Didn’t even realize how fast the time went…” She muttered, getting up from the chair.

She reached over to the middle chair that had separated the two girls and grabbed the plate of cookies, which was now empty thanks in part to both millionaires (Peridot had very  _openly_  expressed how much she loved the cookies, causing Lapis both to feel pride in her abilities and blush the tiniest bit at the compliments).

Peridot led Lapis out to the front door, where she stood right in front of the doorway for a few moments while the two talked.

“I… had a fun time. A lot of fun, actually.” Lapis said, voice a little soft.

“I also quite enjoyed this little get together.” Peridot said, her eyes darting off away briefly from the bluenette in front of her. “I… I hope that this isn’t the last time we get together like this.”

That last phrase made Lapis gulp. Something about this whole situation didn't feel like what she remembered as 'friendship.' It felt kinda… special.

"You know… it doesn't have to be the last time." She muttered.

Peridot stood silent for a second. "W… What exactly did you have in mind?" She eventually said.

"Well, it doesn't necessarily have to be tomorrow cause, well you did say that you had a meeting tomorrow, but the next day we could meet up and continue on with the series?" Lapis explained her reasoning.

The blonde pondered this proposal for a second.

"Are… you okay with that? I don't want to keep you from any other important tasks you may have that day." She said.

"I don't really have anything planned for that day. I'll just take care of the important stuff tomorrow." Lapis explained, before something dawned on her. "Um, if you don't want to, that's fine I ju-"

"T-That works for me! Well, I mean, I think that's a quite suitable arrangement. Friday, then?" Peridot said, interrupting Lapis' doubts.

A small smile appeared on the bluenette's face. "Friday, yeah. Goodnight, Peridot. I'll see you Friday." She said, walking off back towards her house.

"You should bring more of those cookies. They were amazing!" Peridot said to Lapis as she walked away.

The blonde watched as the other millionaire chuckled to herself. "You know, I'm starting to think you might've actually enjoyed those cookies." She yelled as she crossed the street.

Peridot smiled to herself as she closed the door, and kept on smiling to herself as she walked back over to the home theater.

 _'I don't think I've ever had that much fun hanging out with somebody since…. Well, since forever!'_ She thought to herself as she entered the room. _'Lapis is, surprisingly enough, amazing to have for company.'_

The blonde gathered up all the DVDs, VHS tapes, and other media devices the two girls had been watching before heading back out the door to put them away.

'Just got to store these back up and… ugh, and then I can start looking over boring quarterly reports.' Peridot thought as she opened the door to, what she thought was, her collection room.

She walked inside…

And stopped.

"This definitely isn't my collection room…” She muttered as she tried to figure out exactly where she walked into.

It looked like some sort of home gym complete with a bench press, many sorts of weight lifting machines, and all sorts of exercise equipment. It would be what essentially amounts to a workout junkie's dream.

"Why do I even have this? I don't exercise like this, the most I do is go for a run every other day." The blonde nerd said as she investigated the equipment, still holding the DVDs and tapes in her hands.

She stood for a moment and tried to wrack her brain on when in her life she would've willingly bought a home gym.

Thinking...

Thinking...

And then it hit her.

It was a few years back. Lapis had held a house party for most of her neighbors, but specifically invited Peridot in person. When Peridot got to the party, Lapis had specifically pulled her aside to show her a very elaborate looking home gym she had installed in her home. She rubbed it in her face for the rest of the party, bragging to all her neighbors when Peridot was in earshot.

So, Peridot did what she normally did. She hosted an even bigger house party, built an even bigger home gym, and rubbed it in Lapis' face as much as possible.

...Looking back now, Peridot felt a bit ashamed in her childish behavior.

"I can't believe it. I completely forgot this place even existed. God, all of this is just… useless junk. I don't think I even touched a thing in here." The blonde said to herself, still standing in the room.

After about another minute, she finally decided to make her way out of this room and towards her collection room.

As she was walking down her hallways, she began to wonder how many more rooms in her house she had forgotten about, rooms that may serve no purpose.

It made the house seem a lot… emptier than she remembered.

Not empty as in, devoid of objects, but more along the lines of… devoid of emotion.

That thought stuck with her until she fell asleep that night.

~$~

Peridot's corporate meeting was as boring as she figured it would be. She spent the entire time struggling to keep her eyes open, wearing an itchy suit (She  _hated_  suits) while businessmen droned on and on about accounting statistics and financial terms.

She knew this was a necessary part of her business, but stars above did she despise this part.

Throughout the entire thing, her mind kept drifting back to yesterday and the amount of fun she had hanging out with Lapis. The thought kept her from slipping into comatose during that meeting.

She was really looking forward to the next day.

At the same time as Peridot's business meeting, Lapis set up outside her house to begin a new painting.

She used a lot more green colors and hues than most of her other painting this time. She didn't know why, she just… had the color green on her mind.

While painting, she kept on thinking about hanging out with Peridot the next day. She was really looking forward to it, now that she thought more about it.

Maybe she'll make homemade cookies instead of store bought this time…

~$~

The next day, Lapis showed to Peridot's house, not in as formal of clothing this time but still with another plate of cookies. She was greeted with Peridot wear similar attire to hers.

"Hello Lapis! Ready to continue where we left off?" The blonde said in a happy mood.

"You bet. Brought more cookies." Lapis said as she stepped into the house, also in a happy mood.

"Excellent news!"

The two made their way back to the home theater, sat down in their seats, and began the series from where they left off.

They went through the same ordeal as the other day, though this time the two were a lot less shy and more talkative with each other, sharing more and talking about their days yesterday.

"Man, that meeting sounds like absolute trash." Lapis said after learning about Peridot's day yesterday.

"Yes, it was quite unpleasant. I much prefer the actual technological side of my tech company." Peridot replied, putting a cookie into her mouth. "Mmm, these are amazing. Did you do something different with the recipe this time?"

"Yeah, I made the dough from scratch this time, not store bought." The bluenette replied, before noticing a familiar scene appearing on the projection scene in front of them. "Waitwaitwait, shhh! It's the season 5 finale, this is an amazing scene!”

Peridot knew the scene she was talking about, but didn’t really pay attention to it all that much. Rather, she was much more drawn to the girl sitting next to her.

Peridot's opinion on Lapis had almost done a complete one eighty in what amounted to a couple of days worth of time. Before, the blonde wanted to stay as far away as possible from the bluenette.

Now, sitting next to her, watching how vibrant she was, how alike the two girls were…

Well, now she couldn't really think of anyone else she'd rather be spending time with in that moment.

That thought kept reverberating in her head as the hours kept passing and the days kept passing. Lapis’ vists became a daily occurence, save for the odd day where other priorities came up, and soon that thought had the staying power of days as Peridot’s feelings started to confuse her.

…

Her house still felt empty. Painfully empty.

The nerd never realized how loud silence could be. Her house was always silent when Lapis left. Lapis filled the air pleasantly with such engaging conversations.

She liked talking with Lapis. She liked spending time with Lapis.

Her house still felt empty.

~$~

Of course, some things have to change eventually. That doesn’t necessarily mean for worse, but neither does it mean for the better.

In a stunning feat, the two had managed to finish the entire Camp Pining Hearts series, start to finish including all the specials. It basically happened unexpectedly, to the girls’ surprise. They were talking over an episode, having almost forgotten it while sharing some more with each other, when it came to a close. They subconsciously waited for the next episode to start, but it never came. They stopped talking and looked to the screen.

“What happened? Why isn’t the next episode playing?” Lapis asked.

“I… I believe we may have unknowingly finished the entire thing.” Peridot said, getting up from her chair (Which was now no longer one chair away from Lapis’, but now right next to hers) and making her way to the projector screen.

“Wow, the… the entire thing? I don’t even remember the last three episodes.” Lapis said to herself, realizing she had lost herself to Peridot’s conversations almost completely.

"Yes, my inference was correct. We have unknowingly finished the entire series of CPH." Peridot said as she returned to her seat, interrupting the bluenette's thoughts.

"Oh…"

And then silence.

And the silence seemed to stretch on for a while, because both of them had a similar thought. Watching the entire series seemed, at this point, some sort of excuse to simply hang out with each other, like a cover.

Now, they had an honest opportunity to admit that they enjoyed hanging out and just ask to do it, no other strings attached.

All that was left as actually, you know… asking.

“S-Say, um… Peridot?” Lapis started to ask, feeling her nerves speeding up for some reason.

“Yes?” Peridot replied, looking at the other girl almost… expectantly.

“Since we, you know, finished up the whole series, I was wondering if you wanted to do something else… t-together?” The bluenette finally asked.

“Wh- Yes! I mean, yes of course.” Peridot said, trying to re-level her voice after that first loud ‘yes.’ “What did you have in mind?”  
  


“Well, we could… I don’t know, play a board game?”

“Oh, I have plenty of those! I’ll be right back, we can just play them in here!”

And just like that, Peridot jumped up from her seat and raced out of the home theater, most likely to grab said board games. Meanwhile, Lapis got up from her seat and moved herself to the carpeted floor, bringing with her the plate of cookies (Which of only remained one.) The bluenette sat patiently on the floor, thinking to herself.

_‘Why was I so nervous to just ask her to hang out some more? I know I’m rusty in the friends department but still…’_

Lapis kept bouncing that thought around her head until she heard Peridot come back into the room, holding a stack of four board games and a deck of cards in one of her hands.

“Okay, so I grabbed a few games we can play with just the two of us. I got Monopoly, Scrabble, Connect 4, and Risk. Plus, I brought Uno if that’s your prerogative.” The blonde said as she sat criss-cross on the floor while laying out the rest of the board games.

“Hmm... I’m feeling Monopoly today.” Lapis responded, a smile returning to her lips as she began talking to the blonde nerd again.

“Oh, fancy yourself an entrepreneur?” Peridot said with a funny eye wiggle, opening up the box and setting up the game.

“But of course.” Lapis said with a fake snooty voice.

The two giggled as they set up the game and began playing.

~$~

The game progressed on into the night, with both girls playing to the best of their abilities. Lapis ended up buying up most of the utilities, and about a quarter of the board while Peridot stuck to the railroads and only 3 properties.

However, halfway through the game, a detail was learned through passing conversation and a slip of the mouth. A detail that Peridot found absolutely amazing and would unknowingly cherish.

Lapis was absolutely weak to…

Dad jokes.

Puns, knock-knock jokes, even the classic ‘Hi hungry, I’m dad’, all of them made the bluenette burst into giggles and snorts. A laugh that Peridot found somewhat… fulfilling. Luckily for the blonde, she knew quite a lot of dad jokes.

“So, a man goes into a bar and asks for punch…” Peridot started saying, rolling the die and moving her pieces.

Lapis let out a few giggles and snickers. “Oh no, not another one.” She said with a smile.

“The bartender says ‘You need to get in line for punch,’” The blonde kept going, laying out money and placing out more hotels. “The man looks around confused and says…”

Peridot looked at Lapis dead in the eyes with a smirk on her face.

“There’s no punchline.”  
  


Lapis gaped at the nerd for a moment before snickers, giggles started to push out as she tried to suppress them, but ultimately she failed as she exploded into laughs and snorts.

Peridot watched Lapis laugh with joy and content for herself. She found it almost uplifting to make the bluenette laugh with such corny humor. Like having the world's greatest superpower.

She liked making Lapis happy. A lot.

Something sparked inside Peridot. The spark set off a fire of emotion that burned deep inside her.

It was a similar feeling that she had felt when she first saw Lapis jump into her pool completely clothed, yet somehow multiplied by ten. It was almost overpowering.

Now, seeing the artist so happy, laughing at a couple of jokes that Peridot told, made the scene before her look like its own piece of art.

Words bubbled up inside her that were desperate to escape to the real world.

And before she could stop them, she spoke.

"You look really cute when you laugh…" Peridot said with a slight chuckle.

Lapis stopped laughing.

Peridot realized what she just said.

And in an instant, that fiery emotion left her body.

"U-uh, wait! I, uh… This isn't, I-" Peridot sputtered out, her face engulfed in a blush as she shakily rose to her feet.

Lapis stared at Peridot with wide, confused eyes. Her own face was starting to get a bit red.

"I d-didn't mean- It just slipped, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to say t-that, I…" The blonde's feet started pulling the rest of her body out of the room.

Lapis kept staring. "You t-think I look cute?" She finally said, a softer voice than how she usually spoke.

And the embarrassment finally caught up to the nerd.

She quickly rushed out of the thearee towards her own bedroom, leaving the bluenette behind.

It took Lapis a moment to realize that Peridot ran, but when she did she shot up from the floor and ran after her.

"Peridot, wait!" She shouted after her, running down the long hallways of the mansion.

The place was huge, a lot bigger than the artist thought it was. After a solid five minutes of searching for the room, she stopped to take a break.

 _'This place is way too big for me to find her. If I want to see her, I guess I'll have to wait till she wants to do the same.'_  She thought to herself.

Almost getting lost in the process, Lapis slowly made her way to the front door of her mansion. However, before she left, she looked for a piece of paper and a pen, writing a note for Peridot to see and leaving it on a small table by the front door.

And with that, she walked out into the night, slowly trugging back to her house.

_'Why did she run? What, did she think I was gonna kill her for… for..'_

Lapis let out a sigh at the set of confusing emotions that were weighing on her.

_'Why did her calling me cute make me feel so… special? It felt like I was on top of the world for a moment there! You know, before I realized she was panicking. But… why did that feel special? I've always had a bunch of people try to call me something, and that makes me wanna barf…'_

_'So why does it feel special when Peridot does it?'_

Lapis opened the gate, walked inside her house, and stopped.

She stopped because of silent it was, of how much quieter it seemed now.

Lapis never really liked people. She much rather preferred being alone with a canvas and paint than try and socialize with the rest of the rich neighborhood. She used to prefer the silence, the feeling of being alone with your thoughts.

That was before she got to know Peridot, before she knew how funny she could be, how well the nerd could fill the air with quirky ideas and fun conversations. How every moment of silence was a chance for her to express a new idea, tell a new joke, say something interesting.

After knowing that….

Lapis didn’t really like how empty her house felt now.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alternative title was "useless lesbians."


End file.
